Battle of Rouen

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Battle of Rouen, (31 July 1418–19 January 1419). In his campaigns to capture Normandy during the Hundred Years’ War, Henry V of England besieged and took the city of Rouen. With more than 70,000 inhabitants, it was one of the most important cities in France, and its capture was consequently a major success for the English army.

After his dramatic victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, Henry V returned to England. He spent the next year building up a powerful fleet to clear the English Channel of Genoese ships supporting the French, at the same time forming an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, who was previously a supporter of the French king.

In 1417 Henry returned to France and in three campaigns captured all of Normandy except Mont-Saint-Michel. The highlight of these campaigns was the seizure of Rouen. Expecting an attack, the French had strengthened the city’s defenses. The city walls were studded with towers and lined with crossbowmen. Cannon were trained at the English army.

With only a small force at his disposal, Henry could not attempt to breach the walls and storm the city, so he settled down to a long siege with the object of starving the defenders into submission. The siege began at the end of July 1418. By December the inhabitants were reduced to eating dogs, cats, horses, and mice, if they could catch them. More than 12,000 poor people were expelled from the town to save food. Henry refused to allow them passage, so they were forced to huddle in defensive ditches recently dug around the walls. Two priests gave them food on Christmas Day, but that was the limit of English largesse. The French garrison tried to break the English siege on several occasions, but to no avail. In January 1419, the French surrendered.